“We do have a healthy bald eagle population in the area,” Kiehl said. “The notion that removing their reproductive habitat more easily will not impact that ignores and gets wrong how reproductive habitat works.”

Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis, however, disagreed. He said tree work in recent years near the State Department of Transportation facility seemed to invite even more eagles to roost.

“I think if you want to look at eagles, they are still around and in fact, they are taking advantage of some of the activity that our community is engaged in,” Nankervis said.